Grace is led by a team of nine elected representatives to our Vestry.
Our clergy and staff facilitate ministry, worship, and care for the whole congregation.

The Reverend Wendy Wilkinson, Interim Rector

Rev. Wendy grew up in the American Baptist Church, played the trumpet in the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, and was confirmed in the Episcopal Church in 1992. After attending Virginia Theological Seminary, she and her husband, Rev. Mark, were called to the Church of the Holy Spirit in Orleans, Cape Cod, MA where she was asked to build a Spirituality Center for the lower Cape. When Mark received a call from a parish in Virginia Beach, she was asked to build a campus ministry at Christopher Newport University.

​Once that ministry was established, Wendy became Rector at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach and the campus chaplain to the Canterbury Center at Old Dominion University. After 11 years in Virginia Beach, Mark was called to St. Paul’s in Katy, TX and Rev. Wendy became Vicar at Christ the King in Alief as part of the Vitalization Cohort Project of the Diocese. Rev. Wendy joins Grace as Interim as we discern and begin the search for our next Rector. 

Email the Interim Rector

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The Reverend Leah Wise, Curate

Rev. Leah (she/her) joined Grace as a Curate in July 2022. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. Originally from Indiana, she grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida and attended college at Florida State University, where she majored in Religious Studies.

​Leah and her husband, Daniel, moved to Charlottesville, Virginia in 2012 so that Daniel could pursue a Ph.D. in American Religion from the University of Virginia. While there, she worked as a barista and operated an Episcopal Church-affiliated thrift shop. Having grown up in various Evangelical denominations, Leah was confirmed in the Episcopal Church in 2016. She enjoys singing, is passionate about Bible study (and has a great love for the Old Testament), and runs a sustainable fashion blog in her spare time. At Grace, she assists with liturgy, worship, formation, and outreach. She is also the day school's chaplain.

Email the Curate

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The Reverend Dawn Shepler, Deacon

Rev. Deacon Dawn (she/her) sensed a call to be a Deacon in 2009 while living in North Carolina. She earned her Master of Divinity degree from Illif School of Theology and was ordained in the Diocese of Colorado in 2017 while serving as a chaplain in Missouri. Dawn is a licensed Chaplain serving mental health patients in Harris County. At Grace, Dawn’s ministry is centered on serving, outreach, and pastoral care. She facilitates an open AA meeting on Tuesday evenings.

​Dawn is a native Houstonian.  After moving and traveling to many places around the US and abroad, Dawn returned to Houston in 2019, bringing her near her adult daughters and their families (including 3 grandchildren). Dawn’s adult son resides in Minneapolis.

Dawn says of her calling to ministry: “I have always been a Spirit seeker, and as a deacon, I love helping others connect spiritually within and outside the church.”

Email the Deacon

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The Reverend Dr. Alejandro Montes, ​Assisting Priest

The Rev. Dr. Alejandro Montes is originally from Peru and is a retired priest of the Episcopal Church. He served as the Vicar and then Rector of San Mateo Iglesia Episcopal for more than 20 years.  He joined Grace in 2019 and currently leads our Spanish-language service. El es el padre de la misa en español en la tarde.

Padre Alejandro has also served as Chaplain in the Houston Police Department and has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work of reconciliation and social justice in the community, including March 29 being declared in Houston as “Father Alejandro Montes Day" by the Mayor of Houston.

Email Padre Alejandro

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Liz Luna, Children's Minister

Originally from Reynosa, Mexico, Ms. Liz has lived in the Houston area for most of her life. She began volunteering as a Godly Play instructor when she was 15, and was eventually placed in charge of the Children's and Youth Chapel at St. Peter's Episcopal Church.

Ms. Liz believes that making faith and the Bible approachable to children is essential to establishing a good spiritual foundation. She emphasizes learning through hands-on activities and lectionary-based curriculum. She makes connections to the real world so that children will be able to understand that their faith is deeply connected to their real lives.

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Paul English, Music Director

Paul English is an internationally recognized composer, pianist, producer and educator. He has performed and recorded with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Arnett Cobb, Kirk Whalum and David Liebman and he has produced a number of jazz and classical recordings, including a 2009 collaboration with country legends Willie Nelson, Ray Price and Johnny Bush and a 2010 CD, Bring Him Home, a debut recording for lyric tenor, Todd Miller, and Hour of Tranquility for mezzo-soprano Sonja Bruzauskas (2015).

His commissioned compositions include works for symphony orchestra, choir, various chamber settings and several scores for film and mixed genre.  He has performed extensively as a jazz pianist and with his crossover group, PICO (Paul’s Improvising Chamber Orchestra) and PIVO (Paul’s Improvising Vocal Orchestra), mixing styles and improvisational techniques. His sacred works have been performed locally at Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity Episcopal Church, Kingwood Presbyterian Church, South Main Baptist Church, Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church and Mission Bend United Methodist Church, including “The Gospel According to John Coltrane” for jazz quartet and choir (2007), “Wrestling with My God” for choir and chamber ensemble, text by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1997), and “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” for piano, cello and choir (2014).  In January of 2011 as part of the Trinity Jazz Festival in Houston, he premiered his tenth jazz mass for choir and jazz ensemble, which included jazz arrangements of twelve pieces by J S Bach.

Mr. English has served on the faculties of Texas Tech University, Sam Houston State University, San Jacinto College and Houston Community College.  He is an alumnus of The University of Miami and The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University (B.M, M.M.), where he studied composition with Dr. Paul Cooper.

Paul English is a registered Steinway concert artist. After several years as music director for the Trinity Jazz Ensemble at Trinity Episcopal Church in Houston, he has recently joined Rev. Scott Painter as the music director at Grace Episcopal Church, Houston.

Email the Music Director

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Caitlin Powell, Head of School

Caitlin has a B.A. in Communications from Temple University and a Master’s in Education from Hunter College. Her nearly 10 years of experience in education is wide ranging, including certification and practice in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Special Education.

As a parent of two young children (both of whom attend Grace), a teacher, and an administrator, Ms. Powell has a keen sense of the importance of early childhood education. She understands that it is foundational to every child’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual development.

Learn More About Grace Episcopal School

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Ivy Mena, Tech Assistant & Office Manager

Italivi (Ivy) Mena (they/them) grew up in the Braeswood neighborhood in Southwest Houston. They attended Longfellow Elementary School, Pershing Middle School, and graduated from Bellaire High School. Ivy started working in the food industry at a young age and later found their passion for working with animals. They have worked at nearby clinics in the neighborhood as a Veterinarian Technician, and now they serve as both the Sunday Facilities & Tech Assistant and the Office Manager at Grace.

​When not working, Ivy is either at school studying Microbiology or enjoying their leisure time by spending it at the library reading about astrology and politics. They feel welcome at Grace Episcopal Church. It reminds them of the warmth and acceptance they felt from the church they attended at a young age. They are happy to be here in such a friendly environment and can't wait to see what the future has in store for them.

For tech-related inquiries: SundayAssistant@graceinhouston.org
For office inquiries: Office@graceinhouston.org

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Mario Ruiz, Sexton

Mario has served the Grace community for more than 21 years. If you have a question about the history of the church, ask Mario.

​Mario works to take care of Grace's building and campus for the church and school. A skilled handyman and jack-of-all-trades, he can repair practically anything. Mario loves football and especially the Dallas Cowboys.

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Vestry

Grace's 2023 Vestry represents the people of the parish in leadership.
Right to Left: Robert Burlingame (Clerk), Bertha Spadone, Pat Mitchell, Brian Rockhold, Chantal Gaudiano, Colin Dunham,
Gail Keller, Jon Buchanan, Vyonne Carter-Johnson, Phillip Kimbrough, John Hannan